MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State University’s Board of Regents, during its regular session Friday, approved the creation of a comprehensive major in applied health sciences and four courses to support academic programming in the University’s new School of Health Science and Wellness. Additionally, the Board approved a new Master of Science degree in information systems and new areas of emphasis in the Master of Business Administration program.

The new bachelor’s degree program in applied health sciences includes two emphasis areas, aging studies and exercise sciences, and fills an expanding niche in the preventative healthcare field.

Presenting the proposal to the Board, Northwest Provost Dr. Timothy Mottet said recruiters report a high degree of interest in health sciences by prospective students. The National Research Center for College and University Admissions also indicates 30 percent of 2015 high school graduates in the four-state region selected a major in a health sciences field.

The applied health sciences major will provide an avenue for students looking for an alternative path to contribute to the field of health. The degree will equip students to work with wellness programs affiliated with private corporations, non-profit agencies and municipal organizations. The degree also may serve as a feeder program for graduate level health-related degrees such as athletic training, occupational therapy, applied health and sport sciences, recreation, and sport and exercise psychology.

Graduates of the new master’s degree in information systems will work in the information technology field in a variety of positions such as database administrator, deputy project manager, business analyst and systems analyst.

The Board also approved Northwest’s proposal to create emphasis areas in its MBA program in general management, human resource management, marketing, and business decisions and analytics. Mottet said the proposal was based on feedback from recruiters and desires of prospective students as well as a review of MBA programs offered by universities in Missouri.

In other business, the Board approved the addition of five faculty positions – four in computer science and one in nutrition and dietetics. The Board also approved the renewal of a contract with HMedu Inc., an international recruiting agency that assists Northwest’s Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics and Computing, as well as the renewal of a contract with YouVisit, which produces a virtual walking campus tour for Northwest.